Fayette County postpones transportation committee appointment

The appointment of a new elected official to serve on Fayette County’s transportation committee will have to wait until the new year rolls in. The committee’s purpose is to identify traffic problems in the county, offer recommendations for solutions and funding, set long-term goals and coordinate with other jurisdictions on related matters. The current term of Randy Ognio, who has served on the committee since its inception in 2016, expires Dec. 31.

At the Dec. 10 commission meeting, Ognio resigned from the committee effective immediately so that the other commissioners could choose his successor, since he lost his bid for reelection in November. Ognio nominated Edward “Edge” Gibbons for the post for a term that runs until 2022, but Eric Maxwell moved to table the discussion until the commission’s first meeting in January. Maxwell explained that Lee Hearn, Ognio’s replacement, has relevant experience in the transportation field and has expressed interest in serving. The commissioners voted 5-0 to table the matter.